Meat packing plants are the
same as portrayed in Upton Sinclair's The
Jungle.

In the 100 years since the publication of
The Jungle, a wide array of laws have
been passed by Congress to enhance consumer
safety, worker safety and the environment. U.S.
food is among the safest in the world and
Americans spend less of their disposable income
on meat than any other nation in the world. The
meat and poultry industry has been transformed
in the last 100 years. In the industry' view,
if Upton Sinclair were alive today, he'd be
amazed by the U.S. meat and poultry industry. «
top »

The meat industry's fatality
rate is one of the highest in the world.

Fatal injuries in the meat industry (2.78
fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2007)
are lower than the average for all private
industry categories (3.9 fatalities per 100,000
workers). This rate is also much lower than
many other industry groups, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. In comparison with
other industries, fishers and related workers
had a fatality rates of 141.7 fatalities
per 100,000 workers, the highest among all
industry groups. Aircraft pilots and flight
engineers had 87.8 fatalities per 100,000
workers, logging workers had 82.3 fatalities
per 100,000 workers and structural iron/steel
workers had 66.1 fatalities per 100,000
workers. « top »

The meat industry employs a
large number of undocumented workers who have
come to the U.S. illegally.

The industry benefits from a legal and
stable workforce. Meat companies take a variety
of steps to ensure that job applicants are
eligible to work in the U.S. Among the tools
commonly used is the federal Basic Pilot
program, an online system that allows employers
to check a workers' eligibility to work.
The meat and poultry industry embraced the
program when it was tested in a limited number
of states and fought to ensure Congress
authorized extension of the program nationwide.
« top »

Wages in meat plants are
low.

As of 2007, the most recent year
of data available, workers in meat and poultry
plants averaged about $13.34/hour, and
typically worked a 40 hour week.This
wage compares favorably with a number of other
occupations, and is nearly double the
U.S.
minimum wage.Benefits include health
insurance, life insurance, disability
insurance, wellness programs, pension/401K
plans, educational assistance, and other
programs.As workforce needs are not expected to
diminish in the industry, continued emphasis on
providing competitive wages and benefits will
remain an issue of great importance.

USDA sets limits on how
fast lines can move. However, the speed of the
line is determined by how the line is staffed.
USDA inspectors, present at all times in
plants, can reduce line speeds if they belief
they are not staffed sufficiently to ensure
compliance with federal rules.

Companies benefit when line speeds are set
appropriately so they ensure optimal worker
safety, food safety and food quality. « top »

Injury rates in the industry
are among the highest in the country.

Injury rates in meat plants have declined
steadily since worker safety was declared a
non-competitive issue in the early 1990s and
now stand at the lowest level ever recorded,
according to 2007 data. Over the last 17
years, injury/illness rates at meat processing
operations have improved by more than 70
percent. « top »

Union membership in the
industry is minimal and generally not
encouraged by management.

According to an estimate by the United Food
and Commercial Workers union, 60 percent of
meat packing employees are represented by the
union. This compares to the overall U.S.
private sector representation rate of 7.9
percent. « top »

The industry benefits from
high employee turnover.

The industry benefits from stability and
strives to prevent turnover. Member companies
estimate that they spend several thousand
dollars to equip and train new employees in
safety principles and other aspects of work in
a meat plant. Preventing turnover has distinct
benefits; turnover increases, not decreases,
costs. « top »

Employees are provided dull
knives that increase their risk of repetitive
motion injuries. Employees must take knives
home in the evening to sharpen them.

Knives are sharpened in plant sharpening
stations. Employees may not remove knives or
other equipment from plants. Companies benefit
by providing workers with freshly sharpened
knives that ensure that carcasses and meat cuts
may be cut with precision. « top »